The Soul Drifters
by Viandra
Summary: Draco returns to Hogwarts after the war in attempts to mend all his father had broken. His rebellion, however, is at ends with the Malfoy Family's latest agenda- an agenda that could prove more dangerous then anything Draco has ever faced. -Read/review-


Draco laid spread out upon the floor of the Slytherin common room- the plush fabric that made up the emerald green carpet beneath him was becoming rapidly saturated with a thick syrup-like substance that reeked of iron. Blood, of course- his blood. Strange as it was, he was not afraid, though the pain that antagonized each of his tendons in a simultaneous pattern was indeed excruciating, hindering any major urge and perhaps any ability in general to move. He could feel the lids of his eyes sliding to a shut- a flesh blanket over the blue orbs.

This is how it should be, I suppose….A demon amongst Demons….

He was dieing. This was not a simple contemplation, nor was it an assumption. It was a fact. Within minutes he would be gone from this world and into the depths of the unknown. To what would he be greeted? A welcoming and pure light? Or perhaps he would be embraced by flame- left to blister and burn as he stared into the agonized faces of his dark comrades-former partners….death eaters, murderers….

The artist of his minds eye permitted the painting of hell melt away, quickly revealing the smiling faces of his parents in its place. They had always been so good to him, amazing really, but this love and affection was a source of deep irony for Draco, for it was because of these two very people, the people that loved him the most, that he was in this situation. His entire life path had been set in stone from his birth date- a servant of evil, master of the dark arts, murderer of the innocent. "Like father like son", the old adage goes. Never once had he been presented with a choice in the matter, and here he sat, at the edge of oblivion, because of the mess his father had made of their family.

It seemed now that the blonde-haired man in his thoughts was not sporting the smile of love- but the smile that curled his lips after a kill. Oddly, what pained Draco most about the image was no longer the irony- but the sheer and utter disgust that the cold, blue eyes staring at him mirrored his own.

"Draco!" A light voice called out from the distance. His entire body gave a jolt at the sound of the disembodied words sending pain from scalp to foot- instinctively he curled into a semi-fetal position. There was only one voice that could have caused this sort of reaction out of him, the voice of a teenage girl- one he had not heard before the beginning of that year….

Slowly he drifted into memory, as to recount this very chance meeting and the events that followed to pin him in this unfortunate state.

The first day back to Hogwarts- The seventh year…take two. As it turns out, Kingsley, the new minister of magic, had decided that the instability of the previous year of schooling at Hogwarts caused a lack in absorption of essential material, and so students were to continue on with an additional year to make up for the atrocity that the previous one had been. Draco was shocked that he had an invitation to return to the place at all, given his previous acts and affiliations, but eager for some form of normalcy after the war, and for a way to shake his overbearing parents off his back, he gladly accepted and began to ready his things.

And so, before he knew it there he stood, facing the driver of the Hogwarts express. He gave the man a nod and preceded to walk down the aisle . He couldn't help but notice the overwhelming number of eyes on him, many coupled with sneers or low groans of disapproval, especially when passing a medium-sized group of students that were huddled together near the center of the train. It was the potter group, he was sure, because Longbottom sat closest to the window, peering at him overtop a blonde girls head. He could only see this for a moment, because his view was immediately obstructed by a fierce twirl of fluffy brown hair- it was Granger, turning her back to him in disgust. Before he looked away from the group he caught a glimpse of Potter who also quickly looked away from his direction, apparently as outraged at his return as his friends had been.

Draco, however, did not look upon Harry with the same attitude. He, as it had turned out, owed his life to his old enemy. The chosen one's defeat of Lord Voldemort had spared him, not to mention his family. It also allowed them to be drug out of the hell that his father had launched them into- or so it seemed at this point in time. Draco took a short look at the Death Eater symbol that was still boldly visible on his right arm.

Now is obviously not the time to voice thanks, then. He thought to himself.

Turning his attention back to the immediate task at hand he began searching for a place to sit. The Hogwarts express was overly crowded as usual, and without his old friends to turn to Draco suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of alienation. He, as a matter of fact, had never been that fond of Crab nor Goyle- stupid as they were, however….they had been all that he had for a very, very long time.

"Are you Okay?"

The unexpected address caused him to jump. Turning around to find its source he came face to face with the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

It was a young women, very fair skinned, with shoulder length Black hair. She was already dressed in the proper Hogwarts attire- the red and gold of the tie beneath her robes was enhanced by the low lighting of the train. Every feature of her, from her pronounced cheek bones to her crystal blue eyes was flawless, a look unlike any Draco had ever before seen…yet there seemed to be an overwhelming sense of familiarity about the girl. Her pale pink lips parted slightly in an expression of concern.

"Hey? Do you want to sit down?" Her speech was lower then before, the articulation of her words more pronounced to ensure that he understood.

"Oh…." Draco began, slowly getting over the suddenness of the situation. "Yeah, I was just looking for a place actually- thanks…" His voice was slightly shaken and he hopped that she didn't take notice. Obediently he followed her to her compartment, taking a seat on the empty bench across from her after he tucked his things into their proper place. As he did so he couldn't help but wonder why a girl like her was sitting by herself. Thinking it best not to ask he simply leaned against the wall of the train, his hands folded into one another.

"The names Natalia" she smiled, seeming to be as intently interested in him as he in her. "Natalia Borxton"

"Draco Malfoy." His reply wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as he had met it to sound- his family name wasn't as proudly worn as it had been in the days before Voldemort's second rise to power. He watched as her facial expression changed at the mention of his name- though it wasn't the change that he had been anticipating.

"THE Draco Malfoy?" Her tone was surprisingly upbeat, though hushed a considerable amount now. "The one that was supposedly a death eater?"

Draco paused a moment, looking out the window at the passing landscape- not sure how to best interpret this reaction. "Well….it wasn't exactly….a choice I mean-" before he could finish, she leaned forward and took one of his hands in hers, still wearing a smug grin.

"No one really wants to be something like that" she began. Draco cocked his head slightly in confusion- was this girl mental? There were hordes of witches and wizards lined up behind Voldemort hopping that his rise to power would mean privileges for themselves. But yet, the seemingly absurd conversation carried on. " I'm sure that at the time it was the only fitting option you had. I mean, when faced with someone like the Dark Lord, Im sure that things could get a little dicey, especially if you already have family involved…."

He wasn't sure what to say. How did this girl- this girl that he had never met in his entire life, know his family, his troubles, his qualms? Draco's eyes ventured from Natalia's face to her hands, that were still grasping his quite firmly. Looking back up at her he managed a nod. "I suppose….but I don't think that you fully understand, I mean-" again she stopped him mid-sentence.

"Its for no one to work through but you. It's your will to change that will pull you and your family out of this mess. He's gone now- and your free. Free to do whatever you want. All paths are open."

He looked down as she let go of his hand. Was this even possible? After all that he had been through- all that he had done, was it as simple as a change of heart? A large part of him doubted it- but the smaller part of him, the Draco that he thought he had lost the night he sold his soul to Voldemort was screaming at him from the deepest crevasse of his being that it indeed was possible- as simple as the flick of a wand, if he was indeed true to the thought.

Hours passed as he and the girl sat and talked. There was no more conversation about the events of last year, or the year before that, or the one before that. It seemed that with this person, this Natalia, he could finally be himself. There was no overbearing parent figure threatening his relationships with the other students of Hogwarts- no life or death assignments from a sick and twisted master that always lurked in the shadows to examine your every move. It was about nine at night, and for the first time since his first year Draco prepared to descend upon the castle grounds, not knowing what this year would make of him.

It was the moment that he looked into Natalia's eyes as she laughed and shoved him playfully out into the aisle of the train however, that Draco knew precisely what he would like to make of the year. The thought brought a smile to his pale face for the first time in what seemed to be centuries.

But to his disgust it turned out to be an exceedingly short lived moment of exhilaration- for his new companion's shove sent him stumbling into the chest of another student- Neville Longbottom. The gaze with which he peered down at him was not a gaze that forgot the past. As the door of the train swung open to permit the students to depart there was a cold that filled the space as a piercing autumn breeze swept through the train ruffling Draco's now shaggy blonde hair. As he looked out the window, he could swear he saw a pair of red eyes in the distance…but they had come as soon as they had gone….


End file.
